Ecological Consequences of Recent Climate Change

• Published in: Conservation biology 2001-04, Vol.15 (2), p.320-331
• Main Author: McCarty, John P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.015002320.x

: Global climate change is frequently considered a major conservation threat. The Earth's climate has already warmed by 0.5° C over the past century, and recent studies show that it is possible to detect the effects of a changing climate on ecological systems. This suggests that global change may be a current and future conservation threat. Changes in recent decades are apparent at all levels of ecological organization: population and life‐history changes, shifts in geographic range, changes in species composition of communities, and changes in the structure and functioning of ecosystems. These ecological effects can be linked to recent population declines and to both local and global extinctions of species. Although it is impossible to prove that climate change is the cause of these ecological effects, these findings have important implications for conservation biology. It is no longer safe to assume that all of a species' historic range remains suitable. In drawing attention to the importance of climate change as a current threat to species, these studies emphasize the need for current conservation efforts to consider climate change in both in situ conservation and reintroduction efforts. Additional threats will emerge as climate continues to change, especially as climate interacts with other stressors such as habitat fragmentation. These studies can contribute to preparations for future challenges by providing valuable input to models and direct examples of how species respond to climate change. Resumen: El cambio climático global es frecuentemente considerado como una gran amenaza para la conservación. Sin embargo, el clima de la tierra ya se ha calentado 0.5° C a lo largo del siglo pasado y estudios recientes muestran que es posible detectar los efectos de un clima cambiante en los sistemas ecológicos. Esto sugiere que el cambio global puede ser una amenaza presente y futura para la conservación. Los cambios en las décadas recientes son aparentes a todos los niveles de organización ecológica: cambios poblacionales y de historia de vida, sesgos en el rango geográfico, cambios en la composición de especies en comunidades y cambios en la estructura y funcionamiento de ecosistemas. Estos efectos ecológicos pueden estar ligados a disminuciones poblacionales recientes y a la extinción de especies tanto en el ámbito local como global. A pesar de que es imposible probar que el cambio climático es la causa de estos efectos ecológicos, estos estudios tienen imp